Young

people, without question, are the future of any country. And yet time and time again countries are
failing their young people. What are the causes and consequences of this for these countries and what
futures lay in store for their young people?

Despite the center stage Italian youth took in the 1960s and 1970s, for the last couple of decades they have
been excluded from the majority of society's institutions and especially the protections of the welfare
state. With youth unemployment rates in Italy as high as 40.1% in 2013, the social implications are vast and
wide ranging. As an initial response, the Italian government went into denial over the impending crisis for
young people and only now politicians are beginning to address the magnitude of this issue. The socio-
economic situation facing 25 to 34 year olds in Italy parallels those in many countries throughout Western
Europe, Asia and more recently the United States and thus has reached global proportions. Some analysts
predict that the current state of affairs for young people throughout the world may very well be the calm
before the storm of a major uprising not entirely different from the student movements of the late 1960s
and the more recent Arab Spring.

This course will engage students in the problem of Italy's lost generation from political, economic, and
social dimensions while they study abroad in Rome and learn from some of the young people hit hardest in
recent years. Students will hypothesize solutions for what is often considered the gerontocracy that has
dominated Italian politics over the last few decades. With recent prime ministers' ages generally in their
70s and presidents being in their mid to late 80s, it is no surprise that the Italian government recently was
singled out as having the highest average age in the Western world. Students will strategize alternatives
to the precarious futures of young Italians in call centers and other employment with short-term contracts
which has convinced much of Italy's brightest and most talented youth to flee the country in what has
been come to be known as a literal brain drain. Students will take on the role that the media has played in
exacerbating this problem by portraying young people as superficial sex objects or projecting a continued
sense of hopelessness. Additionally students will attempt to solve the problem of the last decade of zero
productivity growth in Italy that has had numerous social costs with university attendance plummeting
(and drop out rates increasing), the postponing of families and birth rates at a historic new low. Contrary
to the negative outlook of the situation described, students will attempt to map out how Italy can utilize
its strengths and resources as one of the most vibrant, socially multi-cultural nations in the world where
youth are beginning to find alternative ways to express themselves politically and socially.

This problem-based learning course in English will utilize recent Italian films and documentaries to define
the political, economic and social dimensions of the problem of Italy's lost generation. It will feature a
number of young adult guest speakers from the Roman community who will discuss with our students
their own stories. It will require students to interact with and interview Italians in Rome to enable them to
better understand the problem and to pose more viable solutions. It will encourage students to reflect on
the vital and significant role that they themselves will play as they emerge in the global economy. As
importantly, this course will bring to our students' attention that their own futures may not be all that
different from their Italian peers should they fail to demand from our government the continued fostering
of opportunities for young peopleour greatest asset.

ITALIAN 499 Italian Youth Summer 2015 2/5